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Nikoncory
Tinkerer
Username: Nikoncory
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2011 - 10:33 am: | 
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Hello everyone. I have a Hi-Matic 7 that I have been working on for the last couple of days. It originally arrived with a non-working shutter, which I have rectified, but somehow in the process, something in the aperture control has apparently become dislodged, and now the aperture blades stay in the maximum open position. I have fired the shutter in the bulb setting while looking through the lens from the rear, and the aperture blades are not visible, regardless of the setting. Upon disassembling the lens again, the lever that controls the aperture appears to move freely and has no effect on the aperture blades. I have also remove the top of the camera, and everything on the top side appears to be functioning correctly.
My question is, first and foremost, am I correct in believing that this is not normal operation for this camera? If so, how do I access the linkage for the aperture underneath the lens. I've done some some reading on disassembling the shutter mechanism, and if this is required to get to the aperture linkage, I may have to shelve this project until a time when sending the camera to a professional becomes financially feasible, as I am unwilling to disassemble the shutter for fear on not being able to reassemble it correctly.
I will try to attach a picture of the camera in its current state of dis-assembly. |
Nikoncory
Tinkerer
Username: Nikoncory
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2011 - 10:49 am: |
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Well the picture didn't come through. I see now that there is a 450 maximum pixel size. I'll try again. If it doesn't work this time, the picture can be viewed from my Flickr account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47533202@N06/5422288582/
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Neuberger
Tinkerer
Username: Neuberger
Post Number: 26
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2011 - 12:36 pm: |
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I can only advise against disassembling a Hi-M 7/7s or 9 the way you did, at any rate it is not the usual way, as no top plate is now protecting the cocking mechanism from getting loose an flying around in the room. The older Hi-Matics and their Seiko FL-A shutter are somewhat differently constructed than other vintage cameras, so they demand a different repair routine.
Your picture clearly shows the shutter blades are still not clean and, I guess, so are the aperture blades and that may be the reason why they got stuck in full open position.
If I were you I would very carefully try to put the shutter plate back with its small fastening screws and start again the ordinary way if possible, and that is by a step-by-step disassembly of the rings plus the desoldering of the wires to the CdS-cell (no polarity).
The forum's archives are certainly useful here, even scrolling down the recent posts will probably give advice. |
Neuberger
Tinkerer
Username: Neuberger
Post Number: 27
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2011 - 12:42 pm: |
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PS: Did you preserve the small spring steel metal plate for the shutter's clickstops? Is it still there? On removal of the top plate of the shutter assembly it usually drops out unnoticed and then gets lost. |
Nikoncory
Tinkerer
Username: Nikoncory
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2011 - 07:41 pm: |
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Thanks for responding Neuberger. What you are seeing on the aperture blades is the remnants of the lighter fluid that I used to clean the shutter blades when I first began this project. I guess I need to clean them again. Do you think that the lighter fluid could be causing the aperture blades to become stuck? The shutter is actually working fine now. The blades were never stuck to begin with. The lever that engages the shutter release was bent slightly and only needed to be straightened a bit. And yes I still have the piece for the click stops.
I'm at the point now where, if there's no way of getting a look at the aperture mechanism under the shutter without disassembling the shutter completely, I'm going to raise the white flag and just put everything back together (again) and wait until I can afford to send it to a professional.
And I did a search of the forum before posting. Did you know that if you search for Hi-Matic, you get a couple of hundred of posts that start off with the word "Hi"? Every other post that I came across dealt with sticky shutter/aperture blades. Nothing described how to actually get to the aperture linkage. |
Nickon51
Tinkerer
Username: Nickon51
Post Number: 139
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2011 - 12:27 am: |
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The aperture blades are controlled in manual mode by the aperture selection ring around the lens.
In auto mode the aperture setting lever is controlled and stopped by the trap meter mechanism.
Here are a couple of photos of the back of the shutter that may help.
  
These are from a Himatic 7s but the 7 is similar.
To remove the entire shutter on the plate, peel back the leatherette from either side of the lens and remove the two screws on either side holding the plate on.
I think the long lever is the on that goes up to the meter.
Neuberger: Going in from the front is the way that I've attacked the shutter mechanism. Is this not correct? Is there an alternative.?
Cheers |
Neuberger
Tinkerer
Username: Neuberger
Post Number: 28
Registered: 01-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 07, 2011 - 09:25 am: |
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Hi, Nickon51, going in from the front is ok, but what I did on my first Hi-M was taking off the top lid which better stays where it is for the reason stated in my post. |
